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British expats fear losing homes in Goan land grab

HUNDREDS of Britons may lose their holiday homes and life savings in the Indian tropical paradise of Goa after falling foul of changes in local laws and scams by builders and lawyers.

Some claim they are victims of racism and have been told to “go home”.

Many invested tens of thousands of pounds a few years ago in legitimate transactions, only to be told the rules had changed and their properties may be confiscated.

The threatened land grab is reminiscent of the so-called “Spanish acquisition” in which hundreds of Britons lost their homes in Valencia when developers used compulsory-purchase laws to buy them.

In one of the most common scenarios in Goa, British buyers were told by local lawyers and the Reserve Bank of India that they could legally own property if they set up an Indian company and made the transaction through it.